The United States tops the globe with a score of 12.83, followed by the Czech Republic with a score of 12.76 and Russia with a score of 12.69. On the women’s side, the major male tennis nations of Spain and France rank seventh and ninth, respectively. Australia, the world’s biggest tennis nation, ranks tenth.
Tennis has been popular in the United States since the mid-1800s, but it wasn’t until the late 1940s that it became a major sport. Today, it is one of the most popular sports in the country.
In terms of revenue, the United States dominates the global tennis market. The annual ATP World Tour season-opening tournament known as the “Rolex Series” for its main sponsor, includes four events held across the United States, Europe, and Australia. It is the most lucrative sports league in the world. As for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), its annual tour consists of only two events: the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and the US Open in New York City.
Both the ATP and WTA tours are owned by Global Sports Investments, which also owns the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and NHL’s Nashville Predators. In addition to these five brands, GSV also owns the rights to the Olympic tennis games from 2024.
Overall, American athletes have won every single gold medal awarded in tennis at the Olympics.
The Men’s Basketball Ranking Following the Tokyo Olympic Basketball Tournament
World rank
Country
Current points
USA
765.2
Spain
722.4
Australia
690.5
Slovenia
675.9
Tennis Is Popular All Over the World
ranking
Country
Regional Popularity *
1
Australia
100
2
France
71
3
New Zealand
70
4
Switzerland
69
Sports nations are dominant.
Country
Sport
Dominance Score
China
Table Tennis
63.9
China
Diving
51.5
South Korea
Archery
45.8
USA
Softball
45.8
Tennis Is Popular All Over the World
Country
Population
% of Total Global Searches
Serbia
8,737,371
0.68%
Spain
46,754,778
3.54%
Sweden
10,099,265
0.76%
Taiwan
23,816,775
1.79%
These are the most populous nations for the sport. Brazil leads the FIVB Senio World Ranking for men’s volleyball with 427 points, followed by Poland, the United States, and Russia. With 328 points, the country ranks third in the women’s rankings, after only China and the United States. Italy is fifth on 211 points.
Volleyball is widely played in South America, especially in Brazil, where it is one of the most popular sports. In Mexico, the game is mostly played by students at university level. In Colombia, it is mainly practiced by young people between 15 and 24 years old. In Chile, Peru, and Venezuela, it is one of the most popular sports among teenagers.
Volleyball has become a major sport in Asia as well. The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) was founded in 1967 and became a member of FIVB in 1969. Today, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Finland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Canada, United States, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela.
The AVC consists of 10 members and two associate members.
At Wimbledon, the picture is similar, with Australian men combining for 21 championships (ranking third among all nations) and women combining for five. Australian men and women rank second in US Open championships by nation, following only hosts USA, with 18 and 6 trophies, respectively. Overall, Australia’s ranking is fourth, behind United States, France and Russia.
Australian tennis players are a successful bunch. They have won more Grand Slam events than any other country’s male or female athletes. Men’s singles champion Roger Federer is the greatest player in Australian history, with four titles at the Australian Open. Other notable Australian males who have won Grand Slam events include Roy Emerson, John McEnroe, Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and Andy Murray. Female Australians include such greats as Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Andre Agassi and Venus Williams.
Australia has had its fair share of controversies during the years. Most notably, reports surfaced in 2003 that top-ranked player Rafael Nadal had tested positive for steroids. The news came just months after American athlete Marion Jones was convicted of perjury for lying to federal investigators about her involvement in a steroid scandal.
In 2004, then-no. 1 ranked player Maria Sharapova admitted to using banned drugs throughout most of her career.
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